Wake County school officials confirmed a whooping cough case was detected in one of their schools.

On Friday, a spokesperson for the Wake County Public School System told WRAL News a case of the illness was detected in an Oberlin Middle School Student.

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The school system sent out a letter to families on Thursday to alert them to the case, and a separate letter to families of students who may have been exposed.

A spokesperson for the district said they could not provide additional information on who else may have been exposed.

What is whooping cough?

Whooping cough, also known as Pertussis, is a highly-contagious airborne illness caused by the bacteria, Bordetella pertussis. Some symptoms start as a runny or stuffed-up nose, low-grade fever and a mild occasional cough.

“It’s not quite as infectious as measles, but it’s highly contagious,” said David Weber, the director of the University of North Carolina’s Department of Infection Prevention. “It is much more infectious, by the way, than flu or COVID.”

About a week or two after initial symptoms set in, some people may develop coughing fits lasting between one and six weeks, and in some cases, 10 weeks.

The illness is called whooping cough because of the high-pitch “whoop” some people make when they inhale after a coughing fit.

Weber told WRAL News that North Carolina and the country have seen a rise in whooping cough cases since 2023. Weber didn’t provide an exact case amount UNC was seeing, but said COVID restrictions starting in 2020 helped curb the spread. 

“People were wearing masks, which does help prevent transmission, and people weren’t mixing as much,” he said. “So this is part of the post-pandemic increase.”

Those most at risk for severe illness or worse are young children, infants and older adults. According to the Centers for Disease Control, vaccination is the best protection against the illness. In North Carolina, vaccines are required by law for students unless they’re given special exemptions.

Doctors also say it’s best to treat whooping cough with antibiotics as soon as possible so it won’t become more serious and prevent the spread of bacteria.

The CDC provided the following suggestions for managing the illness at home while you’re child is recovering:

  • Take antibiotics exactly as prescribed by your healthcare provider.
    • Keep your home free from things that cause coughing like:
      • Smoke
        • Dust
          • Chemical fumes
          • Use a clean, cool mist humidifier to loosen mucus and soothe the cough.
            • Eat small meals every few hours to help prevent vomiting.
              • Get plenty of fluids, including water, juices, and fruits.

                The CDC also recommends avoiding taking cough medicine unless your healthcare provider recommends it, adding that the medicine probably won't help and isn't recommended for children younger than 4 years old.